Robert Sheaffer wrote:
The problem with all of this "Star of Bethlehem' stuff is that it
assumes factual content of the Birth Narratives, which most serious New
Testament scholars don't.

Stop and consider: the "Decree of Augustus" in Luke, and the "Massacre
of the Innocents" in Matthew, are both considered fictional events by
non-religious historians. So how likely is either account to be true?

Plus, the two Birth Narratives (in Luke and in Matthew) are mutually
contradictory. (Read them carefully and critically). At least one must
be false. Non-fundamentalist scholars assume that both are probably
mostly (if not entirely) fiction.

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Well, you are 100% right regarding the literal words used in the
writings.
The purpose of my posting this Star of Bethlehem item in
sci.astro.amateur
is because I have found (research) that much of Matthew's account can
also be interpreted as an astronomical/astrological allegory dealing
with the beginning of the Piscean Age. (a star 'stopping' is a solstice
-sun stationary - point).
Presently there is no consensus about precisely when the current age
began. There are variances, among commentators, of 300 to 500 years.
This seems to me to be an astronomical issue dealing with precession
(measurement of ages) and the calendar. Astronomers for over hundreds
of years have attempted to find the star that Mathew references. If the
star can be located, rather than, initially, dismissed as fiction, then
astronomers (keepers of the calendar) could propose any necessary
tweaks to get the calendar in alignment with precession and exactly
where we are within the present age.

Every degree (day) that the calendar was adjusted (+ or - ) either adds
or subtracts 72 years of precessional movement (one degree of
precession = 72 years). Plus no year "0" presents another precessional
problem for calendar accuracy. Additionally, when all of the primary
calendar adjustments were made the speed of light was not even
contemplated. So, the early astronomers were looking at the sun not
realizing that light speed issues had them seeing the sun's location 8
minutes earlier or 2 degrees 'off' of the earth's axis rotation,
throwing off the zodiac (Vernal Equinox March 21st) an additional 2
degrees (which is 144 years of precessional movement).

Finding the 'star', in my thinking, will help to align the zodiac and
the calendar. Both of these issues are completely within the realm of
astronomers, the keepers of the calendar.

All of it is quite fascinating.